…tales of an American expat in southeast Asia…

Ah, to be 18 again

I was tagged by George for a little meme about the music of my senior year in high school.

The rules:

1. Go to www.popculturemadness.com
2. Pick the year you turned 18
3. Get yourself nostalgic over the songs of the year
4. Write something about how the song affected you
5. Pass it on to 5 more friends

Fun, right? Well, despite my earlier assertion that I am stuck, musically speaking, in 1999, apparently I’m stuck in my own version of 1999, because I can barely even remember the songs that are listed as the top 10 in 1995 (as you can see I’m using my dates interchangeably here – I can’t remember the songs that are listed as the top 10 in 1999 either).

Here are the entries for 1995:

December 3, 1994 – January 13, 1995: On Bended Knee – Boyz II Men
What? Boyz II Men was still popular in 1995?

January 14 – January 27: Here Comes the Hotstepper – Ini Kamoze
OK, I can remember this one. I can remember laughing and laughing at how utterly lame it was.

January 28 – February 24: Creep – TLC
Yes, I did like TLC. I can say nice things about TLC. The eye patch, the burning of the home, there are some fond memories there.

February 25 – April 14: Take A Bow – Madonna
I will always love Madonna, but Take A Bow? That was in the top 10?

April 15 – June 2: This Is How We Do It – Montell Jordan
Who?

June 3 – July 7: Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman – Bryan Adams
No. No Bryan Adams.

July 8 – August 25: Waterfalls – TLC
Yeah, I remember this video, there were waterfalls.

August 26 – September 1: Kiss From A Rose – Seal
Mostly I just like the fact that Seal is married to Heidi Klum and now they can call their babies “baby seals.”

September 2 – September 8: You Are Not Alone – Michael Jackson
Glove or no glove at this point?

November 25 – December 1: Exhale (Shoop Shoop) – Whitney Houston
Really? The year I graduated high school Whitney Houston was still popular?

December 2, 1995 – March 22, 1996: One Sweet Day – Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men
This sounds like a nightmare combination.

Through no fault of his own, George has inadvertently presented me with quite a challenge. I think I’ll do better by listing some of my personal favorites for 1995 and reminiscing about those. Now, I’m not claiming all of these songs were released in 1995, or that any of them were actually popular at the time, but I loved them in that year (and, still do, for that matter).

Technically speaking, I didn’t turn 18 until I started college. My birthday is in September, so I was usually one of the youngest ones in my class. So, most of my songs are all from my first semester at UConn. Which, by the way is when I met my now-husband, Alex, who is, at this very moment remembering my arrival on the co-ed, drug-free, sixth floor of the Alumni dorm in 1995. Topping the list are: my band T-shirts, always worn over a long sleeved, often striped, shirt; my much bushier eyebrows (how could I have waited so long to start shaping my brows?); and my selection of Dr. Martens in various shades of red. Yep, 1995 was a gooood year….

So, on to the songs:

Kinda I Want To by Nine Inch Nails

Just listening to this track takes me back to driving through the green countryside of CT during the summer of my senior year. Daylight until 9pm, sun roof open, wind streaming through every open window and NIN blaring on the stereo. Nobody else on the road, speeding down winding two-lane back roads to get home before I got in trouble. Every time I go home for the summer, I love just driving around re-creating my summer ’95 days.

O Stella by PJ Harvey

Stella Marie you’re my star! The first line of this song immediately puts me in a good mood. Visions of my dorm room with band posters all over the wall, sharing the space with my old best friend from high school, the bright lights of the all-night fluorescents in the hallway, and of course, the all-too-expected “break up” with the old best friend…

He Thought of Cars by Blur

I’m not sure why I like this particular song so much. I just do. I think of the Fairfield diner, a table full of friends, breakfast all day, relaxed from walking on the beach at sunset.

I Am Superman by R.E.M.

One of my all-time favorites. Short and sweet. Every time I hear this song I smile. Everything high school is R.E.M. for me. Life’s Rich Pageant may be my favorite R.E.M. album, but that’s a tough call.

Kingdom of Rain by The The

So hard to pick a favorite from this album, but I think I have to go with the song that introduced me to Sinead O’Connor. And, it reminds me of going to my favorite used record store in Danbury, Trash, (also the place where I used to buy my niobium earrings… I wonder where those went?). Right next door is another of my favorite diners. I guess we spent a lot of time in diners back in the day…

There are so many more I could list (how can I pass up Teenage Riot, Pristeen, Born of Frustration, Reverence, etc, etc???) but I guess I have to stop here… I sure do miss the days when I got to see my favorite bands in concert…

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10 Responses

That was so much fun to look up those riduculous songs. But now I feel really old. I looked up 1993 and panicked because I didn’t know any of the songs. Then I realized that I was 18 in 1983!!!! Holy cow I am really old! I can’t believe how many memeories flooded back just looking at the names of those songs. I can’t wait to show Brian! Thanks.

Ooooh! I’m so excited…this will be perfect for my Flasback Friday post tomorrow. Now if I can just find the time to write it!

I so remember all of the songs on your first list. I’m more of a superficial, pop music junkie. I never really delved into the alternative or deep-thinking singers and bands. And I’m way too ADD to listen to one group for very long before I tire of their music.

You think your year had craptastic music?? Try 1992- the year that gave us “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston (seriously?? I could swear I was in, like 4th grade when that song came out….I guess it just seems impossible to remember a time before that song…) and “Baby Got Back”. AND let’s not forget the one-hit wonder that was “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred. You gotsta love the 90s!!!

Oh gosh I am feeling old. I turned 18 in 1971, Lots of memories from the songs. I may do this meme one day next week. Thanks for posting it.
I dropped by to let you know that I have my photo hunt photo up early this week because I am going to be out of the house all day tomorrow. Please stop by if you have time and enjoy your weekend

This was the time… I kept my hair short & platinum, spiked Billy Idol style – with a shock of pink b/c I am a woman after all. I wore black leather from the tip of my toes to my dog collar… yes it was mine… not my dog’s… This was when I weighed 109 and was shockingly provocatively dressed. This was the period where I wore a chain from my spider earrings to my spider pin and from my spider pin to my spider ring and from my spider pin to my belt… very complicated and a total pain in the buttocks… Anything for style!

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superkimbo has been living overseas since 2000 - the first five years in Munich, Germany, then two years in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and currently in Bangkok, Thailand. superkimbo enjoys the married life with the wonderful albtraum. Nosy? Read more about superkimbo here.